1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a variable workstation furniture system having a furniture frame, which can include vertical columns and foot extensions, wherein the lower ends of the columns can be connected with base elements, to which front and rear foot extensions can be connected.
2. Description of Related Art
A variable workstation furniture system is known from European Patent Reference EP 0 681 439 B1. There, the columns of the furniture frame as embodied as double supports, both of which are connected at their lower ends with a base element. Front and rear foot extensions of variable extensible length can be connected to the base elements.
Moreover, the two base elements for a double support are fixedly connected with each other via a base connector. Thus the design of the foot of a piece of workstation furniture in particular requires a considerable cost for parts and assembly. Furthermore, the design of the foot is limited to a single piece of work furniture and cannot be expanded to work furniture combinations.
It is one object of this invention to design the outlay for parts and assembly for the furniture frame of a variable workstation furniture system so that a further variation of the design of the foot is possible for work furniture combinations.
In accordance with this invention, this object is achieved with front foot extensions of different extension lengths, rear foot extensions and intermediate foot elements that form a kit. The front foot extension has as the base element a column receiver, which faces the column and is open at the top, into which a column can be inserted and can be connected with the front extension. A rear foot extension or an intermediate foot element can be connected to the column receiver of a front foot extension and can also be connected with the front foot extension.
With this embodiment of the front foot extension, the base elements are no longer separate elements, they are formed as one piece to the front foot extension. The remaining elements of the kit, rear foot extensions and intermediate foot elements, do not require any base elements, for example column receivers, and can be directly connected with the column receivers of front foot extensions. There, the intermediate foot elements offer the option of connecting two front foot extensions with each other, wherein two spaced-apart column receivers allow the construction of two pieces of workstation furniture which adjoin each other in the rear and which are connected with each other via common feet extending over the two pieces of furniture.
If an extension element, which is open toward the bottom, adjoins the column receiver and has a fastening receiver with a fastening flange and a nut receptacle in the area of the free end, a height adjustment device can be attached to the front foot extension.
The connection between the column and the column receiver is preferably provided by screwing them together, wherein in one embodiment, at least two fastening receivers with fastening flanges and nut receptacles, to which a column can be fixed by screws, are formed on a bottom of the column receiver.
In accordance with a further embodiment, the connection of a rear foot extension or of an intermediate foot element to the column receiver is accomplished with a fastening sleeve, which can be brought into congruence with a fastening plate of a rear foot extension, or of an intermediate foot element, and can be connected with it by a screw connection, that is formed on the free end of the column receiver. In this case the fastening and the alignment can be further improved because two plug-in receivers are formed in the area of the free end of the column receiver of a front foot extension, into which vertically upward oriented plug-in shoulders of a rear foot extension or of an intermediate foot element can be inserted.
First the plug-in connections are made, and then the two adjoining parts are screwed together.
If the intermediate foot elements have identical fastening plates and plug-in shoulders on both ends, the same as the fastening plates and plug-in shoulders of the rear foot extensions, an intermediate foot element can be connected at both ends with a column receiver of a front foot extension.
The rear foot extensions are designed as hollow bodies open toward the bottom and are reinforced by longitudinal and/or transverse strips. A fastening receiver with a fastening plate and a nut receptacle is formed on the free end of the rear foot extensions, so that they can be directly connected with a front foot extension and equipped with a height adjustment device.
An embodiment advantageous for the design of the foot extensions is visually sufficient because the rear foot extensions extend over a connecting element and an extension element, and the extension element, the same as the extension elements of the front foot extensions, are continuously reduced in structural height and width toward the free end.
If the intermediate foot elements are designed so that the intermediate foot elements extend over a connecting element, a center element and again a connecting element, wherein both connecting elements have identical fastening plates and identical plug-in shoulders, then they can be used in two positions for connecting front foot extensions, which simplifies and eases the construction of the furniture frame.
The intermediate foot elements can be produced cost-effectively and with sufficient strength if they are designed so that the connecting elements and the center element of the intermediate foot elements are hollow bodies open toward the bottom and are reinforced by longitudinal and/or transverse strips. The center element has a centered screw receiver with a threaded bore. Further elements can be fastened on the center element and the connecting elements of the intermediate foot element.
This invention can be used with columns designed as double supports because the column receiver of the front foot extensions is designed for insertion and connection with a double support.
If a fastening element, which extends horizontally away and has a vertical bore, to which a height adjustment device can be attached, is formed on the free end of the column receiver, it is also possible to have a height adjustment, or a compensation for uneveness of a bed in the area of the column receiver.
In another embodiment, the connection of a front and a rear foot extension, or of an intermediate foot element with front foot extensions, has horizontally oriented pins or pin receivers and screw receivers provided on a connecting face of the free end of the column receiver of a front foot extension. Pin receivers, or pins adapted as counter elements, as well as further screw receivers, are formed on a side of a rear foot extension, or of an intermediate foot element, facing the connecting face. The foot extensions, or foot extensions and intermediate elements, which are initially plugged into each other in an aligned manner can then be solidly fastened to each other simply with screws. In the process, an exact adjustment and a connection without play results because the pins and pin receivers are conically shaped.